Improvement in hat and bonnet boxes



A. B. RICE. Hat and Bonnet Box.

No. 200,802. Patented Feb. 26,1878.

Jzfiest [law/aim" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPH B. RICE, OFBROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAT AND BONNET BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 200,802, dated February 26, 1878; application filed November 7, 1877.

which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the said box, shown partly in section, the remaining figures illustrating details of construction, as hereinafter set forth.

The object of my invention is to furnish a hat or bonnet box adapted to securely retain the hat or bonnet during transportation, and possessing sufficient strength to obviate the necessity for inclosing the box in wooden frame-work, as heretofore practiced with the pasteboard boxes which mine is designed to supersede.

The box is constructed in either round, oval, or rectangular form, from a single piece of wood, A, constituting the walls, to which the bottom and lid are attached, as hereinafter described.

The piece A of thin wood, preferably gum, is steamed or soaked, in order to render it flexible, and is bent to the desired shape, being secured in a suitable form to dry, the seam being fastened by gluing or in any other convenient manner. The bottom 0 consists of a suitable piece of wood, somewhat thicker than the walls A, punched, sawed, or cut to the proper shape, and fastened in place by glue or tacks, or both. An annular rim, e, of

' sheet metal, folded as shown in Fig. 7, is

placed over the upper edge, and secured by punching slight indentations in it at intervals. The lid B is also furnished with a metallic rim, E, (see Fig. 6,) flanged as shown, the flange entering the box when the lid is closed. The hinge by which the lid is attached is shown in Fig. 5, and difl'ers from the ordinary hinge in having its staple formed into a handle, F, for carrying the box, the parts of the hinge being soldered to the metallic rims of box and lid. The catch for securing the latter is shown in Fig. 4, and consists of a strip of metal, Q, soldered to the inside of the rim E,

and provided at the end with a lip, R, bent at right angles. Behind the lip R is attached a staple, S, protruding through an oblong slot in the lid B and having a ring, T, attached. By withdrawing the staple by means of the ring the lid is released and the box may be opened.

In Fig. 2, Irepresents an oval ring of metal, wood, or pasteboard secured by means of hooks K to the inside of the box. The ring I is adapted to hold a gcntlemans hat, when the box is used for containing the same.

When designed to contain a ladys bonnet, I make use of the device shown in Fig. 3, in which G represents a standard surmounted by a suitable knob. A slot, N, is sawed in the side of the standard, and contains a spring, M, having at its lower end a catch, as shown. A base-piece, H, is glued to the bottom of the box, and is furnished with a step for the standard G, enlarged at the bottom to form a recess, P, for the catch upon the end of the spring M.

It is obvious that the standard may be readily released by pressing upon the spring M, when it may be withdrawn. The ring I being also removable, the box may be instantly adapted for use as either a hat or bonnet box.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The box herein described, having the staple of its hinge extended to form a handle for carrying, substantially as set forth.

2. In a hat or bonnet box, the base-piece H, having standard G and spring-catch M, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the box A, having metallic binding-strips e E, the removable ring I, substantially as described.

4. The box herein described, consisting of the walls A of a single strip of wood, bottom 0, and hinged lid B, the walls and lid being provided with metallic binding-strips, as set forth.

ADOLPH B. RICE.

Witnesses:

GEO. MANVILLE, HENRY A. KING. 

